Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 8, Shloka 130

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

तदा द्वादश वर्षाणि दुःखदानात्तु निष्कृतिः ।

आत्मानं स ददर्शाथ पुक्कसीगर्भसम्भवम् ॥

Transliteration

tadā dvādaśa varṣāṇi duḥkha-dānāt tu niṣkṛtiḥ / ātmānaṃ sa dadarśātha pukkasī-garbha-sambhavam

Translation

随后，十二年之后，由“施与痛苦”而引生的赎罪——亦即承受其痛楚果报——已告圆满；他便见到自己竟从一位 pukkasī（出身极卑微群体的女子）的胎中而生。

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा बहुवचनरूपेण ‘वर्षाणि’ इति पदं विशेषयति

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कालावधि-कर्म), बहुवचन

• दुःख-दानात्: from (the act of) giving pain / causing suffering
• दुःख-दानात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान-हेतु), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—दुःखस्य दानम्

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• निष्कृतिः: expiation / release (was)
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता-प्रातिपदिक), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• स: he
• स: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अनन्तरार्थ

• पुक्कसी-गर्भ-सम्भवम्: born from the womb of a pukkasī (outcaste woman)
• पुक्कसी-गर्भ-सम्भवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुक्कसी (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म-विशेषण), एकवचन; समासः—पुक्कस्याः गर्भः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + तस्मात् सम्भवः (पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within Markandeya Purana (frame-speakers not identifiable from excerpt alone)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Karmic rebirth
• Expiation (niṣkṛti)
• Social degradation as narrative consequence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text frames painful experience as a kind of ‘working off’ (niṣkṛti) of past actions. Rebirth into a stigmatized social location is used (in Purāṇic idiom) to stress that karma can overturn status and identity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita: individual karmic trajectory; tangential to Vamśa (genealogy) but not presenting a lineage list.

What is the esoteric significance?

Seeing oneself as ‘other-born’ breaks the illusion of fixed selfhood; it is a narrative device to induce detachment from pride (māna) and rank.